Letters close
Letters close (
It was necessary to break the seal to open and read the letter, and so its arrival with the seal intact showed that it had not been intercepted or tampered with. However, once the seal was broken, it could no longer confirm the authenticity of the document.
Litterae clausae of the Pope
Another example of letters close is papal letters close. These often had the leaden papal bulla attached to the letter with a hemp cord that was a sign that the letter contains an order or the fine silk cord which meant a "gift" or a "grace" being announced to the addressee. The cords were often threaded through the letter to keep it folded, with the address written on the dorse (back) of the document (endorsed) for the entrusted deliverers to read.
In the Kingdom of England
In this realm the letters could be issued by the monarch or government. The original charters of Edward the Confessor can be considered to be a form of letters close, as they were delivered wrapped, with the seal hanging down.
This type of letter later developed into the formal business letters that we are familiar with today.[citation needed]
It is thought that the earliest surviving English instance remaining unopened dates to the reign of
Over time, however, as new document series emerged, the scope of the Close Rolls narrowed; and after 1533 their contents consisted solely of copies of private deeds and awards of enclosure, and the like.[3]
Lordship / Kingdom of Ireland
In English-ruled
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-631-16857-7.
- ISBN 0-7524-2969-8.
- ^ S. H. Steinberg, A New Dictionary of British History (London 1963) p. 75
- ^ "The Irish Chancery Rolls | CIRCLE". chancery.tcd.ie.